Column clamp



Sept 11, 192& 1,683,929

' E. ,L. SOULE COLUMN CLAMP Filed Feb. 14, 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet ,1

I w I INVENTQR. g ww 4 imffm4z V A TTORNEYS.

Sept. 11, 1928.

E. L. SOULE COLUMN CLAMP Filed Feb. 14, 1927 2 sheets-sneer. 2

INVENTOR. dmud 6 elml A, fliflfi r ATTORNEYS. I

Patented Sept. 11, 1928.

1,683,929 PATENT OFFICE.

LEE SOULE, OF BERKELEY, CALIFORNIA.

COLUMN CLAMP.

Application filed February 14, 1927. Serial No. 167,927.

7 This invention relates to an improved clamp for concrete forms and the like, and especially to a clamp which is adapted for use on concrete column forms. Y

The object of the present invention is to generally improve and simplify the construction and operation of clamps of the character described; to provide a clamp which may be quickly applied or removed; to provide a clamp having means for giving a visible indication of the clamp and the forms held thereby are drawn out'of square, and further to provide a clamp consisting of a number of sections or parts so connected that none of the parts will be lost or misplaced when the clamp is not in use.

One form which the invention may assume is'shown by way of illustration in the accompanying drawingsin which Fig. 1 is a plan view of a column form showing the application of the clamp;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged detail plan view of one end of the column clamp, said view being partly broken away and being shown partly in section;

Fig. 3 is aperspective view gripping members;

Fig. 4: is a perspective View of one of the wedges. I

Fig. 5 is a diagrammatic view showing the shape of the teeth 12 and their angular position relative to the wedge.

Referring to the drawings in detail, and

of one of the particularly Fig. 1, A indicates in general a column form into which concrete is to be poured. The form consists of side sections 2--2 and end sections 3-3, the several sections being removable with relation to each other to permit stripping orremoval of the forms after the concrete has set.

The purpose of the present invention is to provide a clamp whereby theseveral form sections may be held together during the pouring and setting of the concrete. The clamp illustrated in the present instance consists of four bars such as indicated at 4, '5,

6 and 7. The bars are arrangedv in pairs, each pair being pivotally connected as at 8 and 9, the pivotal connections beingformed by perforating the ends of'the bars as indi-' cated at 10, and passing a bolt therethrough. The ends of the bars are also provided with a series of smaller perforations such as indicated at 11. The function of these smaller perforations will hereinafter be described. The opposite ends of the bars are roughened or corrugated as indicated at 12, to form teeth or the like which are adapted to be engaged and gripped by gripping members, generally indicated at B. The gripping members employed are arranged in pairs as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, and as all of the gripping members are identical in construction, the description of one should suffice. The gripping members are perhaps best illustrated in Figs. 2 and 3. Each gripping member consists of a pair of parallel side sections, 14 and 15, end

sections 16, and a head member 17. The side sections 14 and 1.5,andthe end section 16, form a yoke-shaped member with the head 17 atone end. An opening 18 is formed between these several sections and the'bars 4,

5, 6, and7 are adapted to pass therethrough' and to slide freely in the openings. Each head member is provided with a tapering surface of head members 17 and serve the function of gripping or interlocking with the teeth 12 formed on-theouter ends of there spective bars- In actual practice the clamp sections areassembled bypassing the bolts 8 and 9 through the perforations 10 as shown in Fig. 1, so as to pivotally connect the respective pairs of I bars. The gripping members B are then passed over the ends of the bars as shown in F g. 1, one gripping member being reversed with relation to the other. Thisv is important, as the projecting arms 20 will then serve the function of supporting the bars with relation to each other. That is, the arm 20* (see Fig. .1) passes over the bar 4 while thearm 20 indicated in dotted lines, passes under the bar 7. The lower bar is thus supported with relation to the upper bar, or vice versa', and the application of the clamping sections to the forms shown at 2 and 3 is thus materially facilitated. After the clamping members B have been applied, bolts or rivets 25 are permanently secured in the outer ends of the bars, and the gripping members are thus permanently .secured against displacement or' and 3 when in actual use. After the clamping bars have been applied as shown in Fig. 1

and the gripping members have been moved longitudinally on the ends of the bars to sume the position shown in Fig. 1,it merely becomes necessary to insert a pair of wedges 26 such as shown in Fig. 1. That is, the wedges are inserted in the guides 19 of the respective gripping jaws and they are then driven downwardly between the gripping members. This causes the teeth 21 on the respective gripping members to engage the teeth 12 on the respective bars so as to form an interlock therewith, and as the wedges are driven into place an endwise pull is exerted oneach bar, so that the forms are securely pulled together and tight joints produced. I

The clamps remain in position on the forms until the concrete has been, poured and set, and they may then, be removed by merely striking the lower ends of the wedges and removing them. The clamping members are thus released and may be moved outwardly on the bars. The clamping bars 4, 5, 6 and 7 are thus released and may be removed from the forms by merely. swinging them outwardly on their pivots 8 and 9. The entire operation of applying or removing the clamps is thus easily'and quickly accomplished.

In applying clamps of the general character disclosed, that is, clamps arranged in pairs and pivotally connected as shown at 8 and 9, it sometimes happens that the forms 2 and 3 are pulled out of square, To avoid this objectionable feature, the perforations 11 are employed. An ordinary ten-penny nail or the like such as indicated at 28 is inserted in each pair of bars as shown in Fig. 1. These nailswill bend over and will be sheared off if the cl ampmg bars and forms are drawn out of square andthe men applying and tighten-,

ing the clamps will accordingly have means for visibly indicating whether the clamps are properly applied or not any bending of the nails 28 immediately indicates that the clamps and forms are being pulled or drawn out of square. The nails 28 are inserted be fore the clamping sections are applied, and each clamping section thus becomes a square Whichserves the functions of determining whether the forms are out .of square before the clamps are tightened into place. This is also an advantage the forms may thus be corrected before the clamps are finally applied. The application of the rivets 25 after the clamps have been completed and assembled the factory, is also important as it prevents loss or displacement of the connected parts. The wedges 26am, of course, completely removed with relation to the clamps when the clamps are taken down, but they are comparatively cheap and may furthermore be thrown into a keg or box when notv in use. So, even though one or more of the wedges should be lost, it would not be of material importance, as extra wedges are always carried on hand to replace bent or battered wedges.

The shape of the teeth indicated at 12 is an important feature of the present invention By referring to Fig. 5 it will be noted that the wedge 26 is disposed on an angle of 15 degrees with relation to the outer edges of the bars. The wedges are, of course, insertable in the slots 19 of the gripping members and when driven into place forces the teeth 21 into gripping engagement with the teeth 12. The contacting faces of the teeth 12 and 21 would normally be at right angles to the wedges 26, but actual experience has deter; mined that there is a tendency for the teeth to slip or lose their grip when high pressure is exerted. The angle of the contacting faces 12 with relation tothe wedges would according to usual practice be degrees as shown in Fig. 5, but as this isnot satisfactory the angle hasbeen changed to 95.,degrees, a maximum security when transimtt ng the t ghten ing effect is thus obtained as the angle of the. ends of the teeth 12 is degrees and the angle of the cooperating faces of the teeth 2 1would' be the same. Any slipping tendency is thus avoided.

Another important feature of the present invention is the position of the holes 10 which receive the pivot bolts 8 and 9, By referring to Fig. 1 it will be noted that the holes are placed as close to the outer edges of the bars as possible. The reason therefor will be apparent when the stress diagram illustrated in Fig. 1 is considered. For instance, when the wedges 26 are driven into place, a pull or line of force is formed in each bar which is parallel with the outer edge. If the pivot holes 10 were placed on the intersecting outer edges of the bars, no tendency to pull the clamping bars and the forms 2 and 3 out of square would be encountered. But, as it is not practical to form the pivot points at the points of intersection ofthe outer edges of the bars,

the pivot holes 10 must be moved inwardly. The lines of force are thuser erted on a slight angle with relation to the parallel outer edges as indicated by the dotted line 40. On the other hand, if the pivot holes 10 should be placed centrallyof the bars as indicated at 4:1, as is usually the case in form clamps of this character, the line of force would become still more angular as indicated by the dotted line 4-2. It is accordingly evident that is of considerable importance that the pivot holes 10 be placed as close to the outer edges of the bars as possible as this reduces the angularity between the lines of force and the outer edges of the bars, and the tendency to pull the clamps and forms 2 and 3 out of square is accordingly materially reduced.

While certain features of the present invention have been more or less specifically deift understood that the materials and finish of the several parts employed may besuch as the experience of the manufacturer may dictate or various uses may demand.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent 1. A clamp of the character described comprising a pair of bars, a pivotal connection at one end, and each bar being perforated adjacent the pivotal end and said perforations being so positioned that the bars will assume a posit-ion at right angles with relation to each other when the perforations register and means insertable through the perforated bars and normally maintaining the bars at right angles with relation to each other.

2. A clamp of the character described comprising a pair of bars, a pivotal connection at one end, and each bar being perforated adjacent the pivotal end and said perforations being so positioned that the bars will assume a position at right angles with relation to each other when the perforations register, and means insertable through the perforated bars and normally maintaining the bars at right angles with relation to each other, said means giving visual indication if the bars are swung about their pivotal connection away from a right angular position.-

8. A clamp of the character described comprising a pair of bars, a pivotal connectionat one end, each bar being perforated adjacent the pivotal end,'and said perforations being so positioned that the bars will assume a position at right angles with relation to each other when the perforations register, and a nail insertable through the perforated bars and normally maintaining the bars at right angles with relation to each other, said nail being adapted to be bent and thereby giving a visual indication ifth'e bars are swung about their pivotal connection away from a right angular position.

i. A clamp of the character described comprising two pair of bars, each pair of bars being pivotally connected at one end, and the opposite ends of each, pair of bars overlapping each other, teeth formed on the overlapping ends of the bars, a gripping member slidably maintained on the toothed end of each bar and adapted to interlock with the teeth, saidgripping members being arranged in pairs and each gripping member having a guideway formed therein for the reception of a wedge and a wedge member adapted to be inserted between each pa1r of gripping members and to be guided by the guideways.

5. VA clamp of the character described comprising two pair of bars, each pair of bars being pivotally connected at one end, and the opposite ends of each pair of bars overlapping each other, teeth formed on the overlapping ends of the bars, a gripping member slidably maintained on the toothed end of each bar and adapted to interlock with the teeth, said gripping members being arranged I in pairs, an arm on each gripping member forminga supportfor an adjacent bar and a wedge member adapted to be inserted between each pair of gripping members.

6. A clamp of the character described comprising two pair of bars each pair of bars being pivotally connected at one end andthe opposite ends of each pair of bars overlapping each other, teeth formed on the overlapping ends of the bars, a gripping member slidably mounted on the toothed end of each bar and having teeth adapted to interlock with the teeth on the bars, a wedge member adapted to be inserted between each pair of gripping members and disposed on an angle of 45 degrees with. relation to the bars and interengaging faces formed on the teeth, said faces being disposed on an angle of substantially 95 degrees with relation to the wedges. 1

7. A clamp of the character described comprising two pair of bars each pair of bars being pivotally connected at one end and said pivots being disposed substantially at a point 'of intersection between the outer edges of the bars, the opposite ends of each pair of bars adapted to overlap each other, teeth formed on the overlapping ends of the bars, I

gripping members carried by the bars and engageable withthe teeth, said gripping members being arranged in pairs, and a wedge member adapted to be inserted between each pair of gripping members.

EDWARD LEE SOULE. 

